Challenges to Rural Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam - Oxfam Blogs

Participatory poverty monitoring in rural communities in Viet Nam
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Capacity of
Women’s
Union cadres
• Most commune
Women’s Union
chairwomen have
intermediary and higher
level qualifications
• Most heads of Union
branches finished 12 th
grade
• Most commune
Women’s Union
chairwomen have
intermediary
and higher level
qualifications (both
regular and on-thejob
training)
• Most heads of Union
branches finished
lower secondary
school
• Some Women’s
Union chairwomen
finished primary
school. Others
are studying
complementary
school, 12 th grade
• Some heads of
Union branches
finished primary
school, and some
are still illiterate
Participation
of Union
members
• Active, self-motivated
Establishes and
launches own
movements
• Participate in
commune Women’s
Union activities, but
not very active
• Women are too
busy to attend
meetings
1.6. Participation and Empowerment
Effective poverty reduction requires better participation and empowerment so that each
impoverished individual, household, and community can take ownership of their development
to make sure it suits their culture and identity. At monitoring points, visible improvements in
participation were witnessed in the last five years, although challenges remain.
Access to information
People have better access to policies, programmes and projects at most monitoring
points. Information is delivered through direct channels such as village meetings and
mass organizational meetings and activities (mainly organised by the Women’s Union).
Other sources of information include audio-visual media such as televisions, radios,
and loudspeakers. The proportion of households with access to these channels has
increased over the last five years. Paper-based sources such as newspapers, magazines,
leaflets, brochures, announcements, and posters are less popular (Table 1.11).
TABLE 1.11. Proportion of households having access to information, 2007 - 2011 (%)
Commune TV Loudspeakers
Newspapers,
magazines
Village
meetings
Officials’
visits
Leaflets,
brochure
distribu-ted
to HHs
Meetings,
activities
of mass
organizations
Announcements,
posters
in village
centres or
public places
2007 2011 2007 2011 2007 2011 2007 2011 2007 2011 2007 2011 2007 2011 2007 2011
Thuan Hoa 46 80 22 52 10 52 93 100 70 35 16 2 7 41 42 77
Ban Lien 22 73 8 12 13 13 98 93 65 40 18 8 0 12 33 20
Thanh Xuong 47 85 37 52 18 40 88 98 53 82 17 23 3 32 10 7
Luong Minh 42 35 53 15 27 5 90 77 80 50 33 20 30 3 27 43
Duc Huong 50 83 53 72 16 5 84 98 - 95 16 20 3 22 24 64
Xy 45 57 3 7 13 15 95 100 75 57 10 53 2 25 25 18
Cu Hue 57 85 35 77 7 18 75 92 28 72 3 18 3 17 13 25
Phuoc Dai - 48 - 65 - 3 - 83 - 35 - 23 - 0 - 32
Phuoc Thanh - 30 - 65 - 8 - 88 - 38 - 37 - 5 - 43
Thuan Hoa 73 82 57 50 3 12 75 57 50 57 38 38 33 18 30 42
Average 48 66 34 46 13 17 87 89 53 56 19 24 10 17 25 37
SOURCE: Household interviews